Drier.



F. M. SCHAEFER.

DRIER.

APILICATION FILED FEB. 26, |916.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

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0mm. APPLlCATION FILED FEB. 26. 1916.

Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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kloznel' FRANCIS IVI. SCI-IAEFER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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Spcccation of Letters Patent.

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App1ication led February 26,1916. Sera1No.80,G54.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. Sor-iraniani, a citizen of the United States'residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook vand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in driers, and has for its object to provide a device by means of 'which damp sheets may be advantageously carried through a drying Zone and delivered in a. dried state in a perfectly flat uncurled condition.

The device is particularly designed and adapted for the drying` of unmounted photographs and the like and it `enibodies means for receiving the damp photograph or other article as it comes from a wringer, at which time it is in a perfectly flat condition, carrying the article in such condition to a drying zone and passing it through the drying Zone while held between two traveling belts that the article will be maintained flat as it is being dried, and hnally delivering the article when dried, in flat condition.

In the drying of photographs, negatives, prints, etc.,'the material on which they are taken has a tendency to curl up during the drying process so that whenthoroughly dry, the sheet of paper or other material Von which the print is taken has curled up substantially into roll form necessitating' pressure being applied thereto for aconsiderable length of time, or reverse rolling of the sheet to again flatten same, either ofwhich operations oftentimes results in damage or injury t`o the print or other article.v

By my invention I aim `to wholly overcome thistendency of the sheet to curl during the drying operation, and I accomplish same by a novel construction of device, a practical embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part et this specilication and wherein like numerals of reference are employed for designating like parts throughout the several views, in which :w

Figure 1 is a view in end or side elevation of a drier constructed in accordance with my invention, the supporting frame being in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device with one of the drying chambers partly broken away and partly in vertical section. vFig. 3 is atop plan view of the device, the stand and receiving belt being broken away.

Fig. l is horizontal sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1.

To put my invention into practice, I provide a supporting iframe 10, the side bars of which at the back of the machine are extended upwardly to form a support for the mounting of a wringer 11, and also a drum 12 over which latter' passes a belt 14;.

The belt 1 4 also passes over a drum 15 having its shaft journaled in suitablebearings on the frame 10 near the front of the latter, and then passes vertically upward over a drum 16 and vertically vdown-ward where it engages a spacing drum 17 and then passes around a drum. 18 and to the drum 12. The drums 17 and 18gare journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame 10 while the drum 16 is j ournaled in bearings carried by a rectangular top frame 1 9 thaty is supported by four corner rods or posts 20 that are in turn `supported the frame 10.

The frame 19 also carries, in juxtaposition to and at each side of the drum 16, drums 21, 22, a similar drum 23 being tensionally mounted adjacent the drum 17 to coact with the drum 22. The mounting of the drum 23 is Iaccomplished by the provision of a pair of supports 24C in the upper ends of which the drum 23 is mounted, these supports extending through brackets 25 carried by the frame 10, a spring 2G andnut 27 providing an adjusting means for-the drum 23 whereby to take up slack in the belt passing thereover.

A belt 28 passes over drum 15, under belt 14e on said drum and then passes upward vertically over drum 16, on topof belt Ill on `said drum, and downward vertically to drum 23 around which it passes Iand then passes upwardly and over drums 22 and 21 .and downward vertically to drum 15.

The drums 16 and 17 are of a corresponding size, while drums 15--23 and 21-22 are of corresponding size, the described arrangement of the drums and the belts passing thereovcr providing twoV vertical passes or passage-ways where the two belts i4-28 are 4the boxes l29 being spaced a slight distance from the middle or center box 30 in order Athe belts to` travel therebetween.

to provide the passes or passage-ways for These boxes form chambers into which Aa drying -Inedium kor agent is introduced, such as steam, admitted through pipes 31, or the drying medium or agent may be in the form of a fuel as gas, or an electrical medium placed in the boxes preferably adjacent the lower ends thereof. These boxes are closed on their sides, faces and lower ends, but are preferably partly open at the upper ends in order to permit of sufficient of the drying medium or agent to escape and keep the drums 16, 21 and 22 heated to some extent to effect a drying action upon the traveling belts passing over said drums. On their confronting faces, the boxes 29 and 30 are preferably provided Ywith vertically-extending grooves 32 which will allow any moisture that may be squeezed out of the belts in the passes orpassage-ways 33 (see Fig. 4) draining down the boxes.

Theseboxes are shown in the present illustration as supported by means of upper vside supporting rods 34 and lower side supporting rods 35. These rods at their ends receive they upright supporting rods 20, the rods 34, 35 being supported on said rods 2O as by nuts 36. The` rods 34, 35 extend into brackets 37 carried by the middle or center box 30 and other brackets 33 carried by the side boxes 29. The central box 30 remains stationary, 'but the side boxes 29 are adjustable toward and away from the central box 30 so as to increase or diminish the width ofthe passes 33. This adjustment is here shown as effected by means of sleeves 39 loose upon the rods 34, 35 and connected at their inner ends tol the brackets 38. At their outer ends they have a swivel conneetion 40 with a hand wheel or nut 41 threaded on to the rods 34, 35. Thus, by turning the hand wheels or nuts 41 inwardly or outwardly, the boxes 29 are moved in corresponding direction toward or away from the central box 30 and the width of the passes 33 thereby increased or diminished as desired. Y

The prints or other articles when discharged from between belts 14 and 28,- at the point just after passing rollers 17, 23, are delivered into a catch basket or any suitable device as 42 which may be carried on the front of the frame 10. An apron or drip catch'43 is preferably provided at the base of the wringer 11 to prevent water from the wringer rollers dropping on to the belt 14.

In operation, the prints or other articles in their wet condition as they come from the bath are passed between the rollers of the wringer 11 and are received on to belt 14, which at this point is traveling downwardly at an incline toward drum 15. At this point, the print or other article is received between belts 14 and 28, and is carried upwardly in the first vertical pass 33, tightly and flatly gripped between the two belts carried over drum 16 in this manner, and downwardly through the other vertical pass 33,l and as the belts 14 and 29 separate to pass respectively around pulleys 13 and 23, the prints or other articles are released and drop into the basket or other receptacle 42. A drying agent having been supplied to the boxes 29 and 30, the prints in their vertical passage upward between the belts and in their corresponding passage downward in the same manner are carried through two highly heated drying zones, the prints or other articles themselves however, being pro tected from any direct effect of the drying medium, as they are flatly clamped between the carrying belts which act as a protector therefor during their passage through the two vertical drying zones.

The operation is a continuous one, being limited only by the capacity of the receiving belt, which may be at all times receiving the wet prints or other articles discharged as the carrying belts diverge to pass over the pulleys 18 and 23. By such a construction, all tendency of the prints or like articles to a curling or rolling action during the drying process is effectually prevented, and the print or like article is delivered in a dry condition and perfectly flat and smooth as was its condition when received on the belt from the wringer. .Although the wringer is here shown as mounted upon the frame 10, this is done to make the device a self-contained machine. Obviously, should the wringer be at a point removed from the machine, the prints or other articles can be' placed by hand upon the inclined receiving portion of the belt 14 where they will be carried through the drying zones in the same manner as above described. The drum 17 is in the nature of an idler, being employed at the base of the passage-ways 33, and of a diameter equal to the diameter of the drum 16, so that the belts in their vertical travel in passes 33 will be held in engaging contact throughout such travel. Any adjustment of the belts necessitated is provided for by the mounting of the drum 23. The drums are preferably provided with means'herein shown as flanges at the ends thereof, that the belts may be kept true at all times tov obviate any distorting of the prints or other articles between the belts which might occur, due to any shifting of one belt relative to the other.

The shaft of drum 12 is driven in any suitable manner, either by hand or from a suitable power supply.

l/Vhile I liaVe herein shown and described the specific embodiment of the invention involved, it is to be understood that in the practice thereof, various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of certain features of the invention, without departing from the spirit thereoiI as claimed.

W hat I claim as new is l. In a drier, a supporting frame, upper and lower' drums supported by said frame, two endless belts disposed to travel over said drums, spaced vertically disposed drying boxes forming passes therebetween through which said belts pass in their travel, the belts while in the passes contacting with meh other to form carriers for articles between them, and adjusting means carried by the iframe and engaging the boxes for varying the width of the passes between the boxes.

2. In a drier, a supporting frame, a cenf tral and a pair of side drying boxes supported above said frame, the side boxes being spaced from the central box to provide vertical passes therebetween, drums mounted at the upper and lower ends of said boxes, and a pair of belts traveling over said drums and through said passes, the belts while in the passes contacting with each other to form carriers for articles between them.

3. In a drier, a supporting frame, a driving drum and a plurality of lower drums carried by said frame, a top frame, upper drums journaled in said top frame in vertical planes coincident with the lower drums, a pair of endless belts passing over said drums and traveling in face contact between the upper and lower drums, a central stationary and two adjustable side heating boxes ar 'anged between the uppe and lower drums and spaced to forni passes through which the belts are carried in their travel, and means for adjusting the side boxes to vary the width oi the passes.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

rRNcIs M. sei-mienne.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

